James Edward Ryan

James Edward Ryan
9th President of the University of Virginia
In office
August 1, 2018 – July 11, 2025
Preceded byTeresa A. Sullivan
Succeeded byJ. J. Wagner Davis (acting)
11th Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education
In office
September 1, 2013 – June 30, 2018
Preceded byKathleen McCartney
Succeeded byBridget Terry Long
Personal details
BornJames Edward Ryan
(1966-09-21) September 21, 1966 (age 60)
SpouseKatie Homer
EducationYale University (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)

James Edward Ryan Jr. (born September 21, 1966) is an American legal scholar. He served as the 9th president of the University of Virginia from August 1, 2018, to July 11, 2025. He served as the 11th dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2013 to 2018.

Early life and education

Ryan was raised in Midland Park, New Jersey, and graduated from Midland Park High School as the valedictorian of the class of 1984. He graduated from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.

Career

Ryan clerked for chief judge of the 9th Circuit J. Clifford Wallace and then Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He served as Matheson and Morgenthau distinguished professor of law and Weber research professor of civil liberties and human rights at the University of Virginia School of Law, before taking the role of dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2013 to 2018.

University of Virginia

On September 15, 2017, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors unanimously voted Ryan as the next president of the University of Virginia. On August 1, 2018, he assumed the 9th presidency of the university.

On October 19, 2018, Ryan announced full scholarships for in-state undergraduates from families earning under $30,000, and full tuition for those earning under $80,000.

In June 2025, The New York Times reported that the United States Department of Justice had pressured Ryan to resign as part of resolving a civil rights probe into UVA's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. On June 27, Ryan informed the university's board that he would resign. On July 2, the university announced that Ryan would return as a professor following a sabbatical. His last day as the university president was set as July 11.

Personal life

Ryan and his wife Katie have four children, and live in Virginia.

Publication

Ryan authored the book Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions, as well as the book Five Miles Away, A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America.

References

  1. ↑ "James Ryan Reintroduces Himself To The University Community". UVA Today. September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2020. I attended public schools in my hometown of Midland Park, a small, then mostly blue-collar town in Northern New Jersey.
  2. ↑ "Class of 164 graduates at Midland Park High", The Sunday News, June 24, 1984. Accessed October 4, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "One hundred and sixty-four seniors were graduated from Midland Park High School Friday. James Edward Ryan Jr., the valedictorian, has accepted a place at Yale."
  3. 1 2 3 "UVA Law Professor Named Dean of Harvard Education School". University of Virginia School of Law. June 9, 2013. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ McCance, McGregor (September 15, 2017). "UVA Today: Board of Visitors Selects James E. Ryan as University of Virginia's Next President". news.virginia.edu. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  5. ↑ Hendrick, Dave (August 1, 2018). "James E. Ryan, Ninth President of the University of Virginia, Takes Office Today". Darden Report Online. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  6. ↑ Walsh, John (October 19, 2018). "University of Virginia Tuition Will Be Free for Students Whose Families Earn Less than $80,000". businessinsider.com. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  7. ↑ Schmidt, Michael S.; Bender, Michael C. (June 27, 2025). "University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ "News in brief: President Ryan transition timeline". news.virginia.edu. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  9. ↑ "News in brief: President Ryan transition timeline". news.virginia.edu. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  10. ↑ "5 Essential Questions for Success". Uloop. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ "James E. Ryan | University of Virginia School of Law". www.law.virginia.edu. July 31, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ "How A Harvard Dean's Commencement Speech On Life's Big Questions Went Viral". www.wbur.org. May 15, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ Harvard dean on book inspired by his popular graduation speech, retrieved June 13, 2017